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    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Creamy Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta Recipe

    Published: Sep 14, 2023 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Creamy Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta Pin with text overlay.

    This creamy pumpkin and bacon pasta is the ultimate comfort food! As the leaves turn amber and the air gets crisper, there's nothing quite like this warm, hearty pasta dish to end your day.

    The dish is a symphony of rich and hearty flavours, and marries the sweetness of pumpkin with the indulgent smokiness of bacon, creating the creamiest, most indulgent pasta recipe you can imagine!

    Pumpkin and bacon pasta in serving bowls sprinkled with Parmesan.

    This creamy bacon and pumpkin pasta is easily amongst my top favourite pasta recipes ever!

    The mixture of pumpkin, garlic, and rosemary takes a trip to the oven, joined by the smoked bacon rashers for the final 10 minutes of roasting.

    Following that, simply blitz everything together in a food processor or blender along with single cream, mustard, Parmesan, and a cup of the pasta's cooking water, resulting in a lusciously smooth and glossy pumpkin pasta sauce that is nothing short of AMAZING!

    Love creamy pasta dishes? You'll also like my creamy garlic mushroom pasta, creamy sweet potato pasta, and creamy sausage pasta!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why should you try it?
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Top tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ FAQS
    • 😋Related recipes
    • 🍽️ More pumpkin recipes
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why should you try it?

    • The recipe harnesses the rich and earthy flavours of pumpkin, making it a perfect dish to enjoy during the autumn season.
    • With just a few simple steps, you can whip up this luxurious dish in no time, making it an ideal choice for a quick yet satisfying meal.
    • This creamy pumpkin and bacon pasta can serve as a comforting weeknight dinner or a star dish at a dinner party.
    • Pumpkins are not only delicious but also packed with vital nutrients, including vitamins A and C, making this dish a tasty way to incorporate more vitamins into your diet.

    🥘 Ingredients

    • Pasta - use any shape pasta you like. I prefer using short pasta like rigatoni or fusili.
    • Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons drizzled over the pumpkin before roasting.
    • Pumpkin - 1 small pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, and chopped into bite-size chunks.
    • Rosemary - a woody herb that pairs well with pumpkin.
    • Garlic Cloves - kept in their skins while roasting.
    • Smoked Streaky Bacon - 6 rashers are needed.
    • Single Cream - helps create the silky smooth sauce.
    • Parmesan - for extra umami flavour.
    • Dijon Mustard - delivers a wonderful bite and depth of flavour to the sauce.
    • Lemon Juice - a squeeze of fresh lemon juice helps cut through the creamy richness of the sauce.
    • Salt & Pepper - for seasoning.

    🔪 Instructions

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170 fan/ 375F/ Gas 5) and place the cubed pumpkin, garlic cloves (in skin), and rosemary in a large roasting tray. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 35 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.

    Two: Lay the bacon rashers over the pumpkin and pop the tray back in the oven for 10 more minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions, and before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water for the sauce.

    Three: Once the bacon is cooked, tip everything into a food processor (reserving 2 rashers of bacon for sprinkling on top of the pasta later). Make sure you squeeze the garlic from the skins first though! Whilst the processor is on add the cream, mustard, Parmesan, lemon juice, and as much pasta cooking water as you need to create a smooth pasta sauce.

    Four: Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and serve sprinkled with chopped smoked bacon and more grated Parmesan.

    Step by step photo instructions for making the bacon and pumpkin pasta.

    💭 Top tips

    • Don't forget to squeeze the cooked garlic from their skins before you put them in the food processor.
    • The reserved pasta water is essential for making the sauce silky, smooth and glossy, so reserve a cupful before you drain the pasta.
    • Add other herbs such as thyme or oregano if you have them to hand. The more herbs the better!
    A bowl of creamy bacon and pumpkin pasta sprinkled with Parmesan.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    This hearty dish is truly a meal in itself! However, if you fancy adding something extra, a delicious piece of focaccia would be a perfect choice.

    To complement the meal and balance the richness of the sauce, a dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc would pair beautifully with the pasta.

    📖 Variations

    • Swap the pumpkin for butternut squash.
    • Make it veggie by omitting the bacon and using vegetarian hard cheese instead of Parmesan.
    • Increase the veggies by adding petit pois or fresh spinach leaves to the pasta for the last few minutes of cooking.
    • Make it healthier by swapping the single cream for half fat creme fraiche. You'll need more pasta cooking water to thin the sauce out.

    🥡 Storage

    This is one pasta recipe where eating it fresh is best!

    While you can store leftover sauce in the fridge and reheat it, it might lose that glossy, silky-smooth texture that makes it so special.

    A bowl of creamy pumpkin pasta sauce.

    ❓ FAQS

    How do I prepare a pumpkin for roasting?

    Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half.
    Using a spoon, deseed the middle of the pumpkin, making sure you remove all of the seeds and stringy membrane.
    Peel the skin with a sharp knife.
    Finally, cut the pumpkin into bitesize chunks ready for roasting in the oven.

    😋Related recipes

    Some more delicious pasta recipes to try!

    • Easy Chorizo and Pepper Pasta
    • Creamy Boursin Pasta
    • Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
    • Halloumi Pasta
    • Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
    • Easy Pesto Pasta

    🍽️ More pumpkin recipes

    • A stack of pumpkin blondie bars.
      Quick & Easy Pumpkin Blondies Recipe
    • Pumpkin pie overnight pats in a glass jar.
      Creamy Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats Recipe
    • A stack of pumpkin muffins in a cake stand.
      Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

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    Recipe

    A bowl of creamy pumpkin and bacon pasta.
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    4.75 from 12 votes

    Creamy Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta

    Indulge in this creamy pumpkin & bacon pasta: a perfect blend of autumn flavours & heartwarming comfort. A quick, yet luxurious treat for any occasion.
    Course Pasta
    Cuisine British
    Keyword bacon and pumpkin pasta, pumpkin pasta
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes minutes
    Servings 5
    Calories 693kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Food Processor
    • Chopping Board
    • Roasting Tin
    • Knife
    • Kitchen Scales

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 350 g Pasta
    • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 500 g Pumpkin peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
    • 2 Rosemary sprigs
    • 4 Garlic Cloves in their skins
    • 6 Smoked Bacon rashers
    • 300 ml Single Cream
    • 75 g Parmesan grated
    • ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
    • Salt and Pepper

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 190°c (170 fan/ 375F/ Gas 5). Place the cubed pumpkin, rosemary and garlic in their skins in a large roasting tin. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes.
      2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 500 g Pumpkin, 2 Rosemary sprigs, 4 Garlic Cloves
    • Meanwhile cook the pasta according to instructions and reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water for later.
      350 g Pasta
    • Take the roasting tray out of the oven and lay the 6 bacon rashers on top. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
      6 Smoked Bacon rashers
    • Squeeze the garlic out of their skins and place the pumpkin, rosemary, garlic and 4 of the bacon rashers (reserving the remaining 2 rashers for sprinkling on top of the pasta later) in a food processor with the single cream, lemon juice, Parmesan and dijon mustard. Blitz in the processor until smooth, then gradually add enough of the reserved pasta water to make a glossy silky pumpkin pasta sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
      300 ml Single Cream, 75 g Parmesan, ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, Salt and Pepper
    • Toss the pumpkin sauce with the pasta then chop the reserved bacon rashers into small pieces and sprinkle on top.

    Notes

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Creamy Pumpkin and Bacon Pasta
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    693
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    42
    g
    65
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    19
    g
    119
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    153
    mg
    51
    %
    Sodium
     
    457
    mg
    20
    %
    Potassium
     
    645
    mg
    18
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    60
    g
    20
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    21
    g
    42
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    9281
    IU
    186
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    11
    mg
    13
    %
    Calcium
     
    269
    mg
    27
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

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      30 Minute Creamy BBQ Chicken Pasta Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chloe Edges

      October 01, 2020 at 9:27 pm

      5 stars
      Yup I'm in. I'm totally obsessed with squash and rosemary and every single flavour in this is going to work brilliantly. It's on the meal plan!

      Reply
    2. Jeannette

      October 02, 2020 at 9:55 am

      5 stars
      Pumpkin and pasta is such a heavenly combination, especially with cream involved! Love how simple this recipe is. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Sue

      October 02, 2020 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      What a lovely fresh take on pasta sauce. Can't wait to give it a try!

      Reply
    4. Toni Dash

      October 02, 2020 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      This quickly became a favorite meal at my house! It was so good!

      Reply
    5. Jess

      October 02, 2020 at 1:04 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! Who knew two of my favorite flavors could come together so well in one dish!

      Reply
    6. Jacqui - Recipes Made Easy:Only Crumbs Remain

      October 02, 2020 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      Love pasta with pumpkin, and I like your way of thinking with the added bacon even better! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare

      Reply
    7. Maria

      October 04, 2020 at 4:52 am

      5 stars
      This I am all in! I mean good pasta, plus a super creamy sauce to match. That is like a perfect combination. What makes it extra is the smoked bacon factor. Wow! Can't wait to do this. A twist to regular spaghetti or pasta dishes.

      Reply
    8. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      October 04, 2020 at 7:30 pm

      5 stars
      This looks and sounds delicious. The flavours are so comforting and Autumnal.

      Reply
    9. Corina Blum

      October 05, 2020 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      It looks delicious and I love the warm colour that the pumpkin gives to the pasta sauce - It looks so inviting!

      Reply

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    Beth Sachs

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

    More about me →

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